Relic From a Bygone Era: Pressmen’s Home, Tennessee

Located in the hills of Eastern Tennessee, this abandoned complex was once home to the International Printing Pressmen and Assistants Union of North America. The bucolic setting was chosen for its remote location and proximity to a spring believed to offer health benefits. The property was purchased in 1911, and for sixty-five years Pressmen’s Home offered training, healthcare, and leisure services to union members and their families.

By the late 1960’s union leadership had decided the remote location was too far removed from the political eye, and in 1967 the headquarters was moved to Washington D.C.

Pressmen’s Home spent the next two years winding down operations, and the buildings have been vacant ever since.

cover photo courtesy John Galt

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Pressmen Union

At its peak the International Printing Pressmen and Assistants Union of North America (IPPAU) was the largest printing trade union in the world, with membership numbers eclipsing 125,000.

It was formed in 1889 by unhappy International Typographical Union (ITU) members looking to establish better representation in their craft.

A pressmen’s union circa 1935

In 1907 George L. Berry became president of then Cincinnati-based IPPAU (pictured below right). Berry convinced union leaders to approve plans to establish a world-class campus for members of the union and the printing industry.

An idyllic location in Eastern Tennessee was chosen, just 20 minutes from the closest town of Rogersville. The property was known as the Hale Springs Resort, a retreat established near a mineral spring in Hawkins County.

The resort had a handful of existing structures in place, but Berry had grand ambitions for the 2,700-acre property which he would call Pressmen’s Home. (map)

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Pressmen’s Home

Berry drew plans to include a trade school which would retrain pressmen in the new offset printing methods. He included a chapel, a post office, and a retirement home for the retired union workers.

A tuberculosis sanatorium was added not far from the mineral springs, which at the time was believed to offer healing powers via the higher sulphur content of the spring water.

Mr. Berry later constructed a hotel for visiting Pressmen and their families; activity options included a baseball field, croquet, mini golf, shuffleboard, and tennis courts.

When constructed, Pressmen’s Home was off the grid and thus was required to be completely self-sufficient. As a result the complex had its own farms, water supply, and telephone system.

(click thumbnails to enlarge)

Hydroelectric power was generated on-site and for decades also provided power to the surrounding area (until the Tennessee Valley Authority infrastructure improved.)

Move to D.C.

George Berry was an effective, but divisive leader of the International Printing Pressmen and Assistants Union.

His vision led him to build an early-century pastoral retreat with a state-of-the-art training facility, but as technology improved and labor battles became more political the priorities started to shift.

Pressmen’s Home Entry Arches: Then & Now

then

now

When Berry passed away in 1948, Pressmen’s Home lost its only benefactor. He was buried in a mausoleum constructed on the property, and later moved to the town cemetery.

(click photos to enlarge)

Berry mausoleum (courtesy John Galt)

mausoleum interior (courtesy Karen Kosheba)

mausoleum interior (courtesy John Galt)

Berry mausoleum (courtesy John Galt)

George Berry grave (courtesy John Galt)

photos courtesy John Galt and Karen Kosheba

New union leadership soured on Pressmen’s Home, which had been built to accommodate different standards of a bygone era. Advancements in printing had since created a new landscape for the industry and had rendered much of the operationally-expensive facility obsolete.

Political influence had become more important than training, and the tuberculosis sanatorium had been a financial drain – a situation made worse when medical advancements discovered little correlation between printing ink and the infectious disease.

In the 1960s the IPPAU was dealing with increasing pressure from competing unions, which had been successfully lobbying the Federal government in the nation’s capital.

Convinced the location in rural Tennessee was pernicious to the union’s best interests, leaders decided to move the headquarters to D.C.

By the time the board of directors announced the move in 1966, the wheels to shut down Pressmen’s Home were already in motion.

original photos courtesy Tim Bass

The headquarters was moved to Washington D.C. the following year, and over the next two years operations at Pressmen’s Home wound down.

The retirement home was one of the last buildings at Pressmen’s Home to close in 1969, after financial problems led to a merger with another union.

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Decline of the IPPAU

The move to Washington D.C. did not save the IPPAU; instead it hastened the union’s exit from the organized labor landscape. The Pressmen Union’s biggest asset was its care, recreation, and training facility in eastern Tennessee.

Without Pressmen’s Home, the IPPAU was just another in a long line of D.C.-based labor unions with little to offer members outside of political influence.

In the late 1960s a hurried merger with a communications union failed to keep membership numbers strong. By 1973 the IPPAU disappeared from the union registry when it merged with the International Stereotypers’, Electrotypers’, and Platemakers’ Union of North America (ISE&PU) to form the International Printing and Graphic Communications Union (IPGCU).

The unions hastened the demise of theHerald Tribune, the Mirror, the Journal American, and the World-Telegram in the 1960s. The death knell of pressmen unions rang louder in the 1970s and 80s with print media’s backlash to the strikes.

In 1975 theWashington Post broke a union when it replaced its striking pressmen; in 1985 the Chicago Tribune broke its pressmen’s union after a strike.

The IPGCU later merged with Graphic Arts International in 1983 to form the Graphic Communications International Union (GCIU). By this time not much of the original pressmen’s union remained.

(click photos to enlarge)

photos courtesy John Galt

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Camelot

Several attempts have been made to redevelop the site since the union left in 1969, but none have come to fruition. Over the years proposals for a tourist resort, a retirement community, and a state penitentiary have either failed to gain traction or secure financing.

In the 1970s the area was purchased by an investment group, renamed Camelot, and partially re-developed as a vacation community with tracts of land for vacation homes available for purchase. Amenities included landscaped grounds, a country club, and golf course.

Timeshare-like marketing incentives were used to sell the lots. Guests were treated to a weekend stay at the hotel and served warm prepared meals; in exchange guests would be asked to attend a property sales presentation.

Sales were slow. When those who did purchase discovered their mountain lots were located on steep unbuildable tracts, the lawsuits followed. Before long the developer declared bankruptcy and abandoned the project.

Over the years the finished country club and partially-completed golf course remained open off and on, albeit only seasonally. A new buyer in 2009 gave some hope for restoration, but as of 2014 development progress has yet to be seen.

Aerial photo of Pressmens’s Home circa 1960’s

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Today

photo courtesy John Galt

Pressmen’s Home was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 20th, 1985. However the register is mostly symbolic, merely offering tax incentives for rehabilitation. It does not afford protection from developers, Mother Nature, or vandals.

As a result, the original buildings of Pressmen’s Home – the ones which haven’t already burned to the ground by arson – have fallen into disrepair.

Pressmen’s Home Hotel fire photo (courtesy Ned Jilton)

Without intervention the growth of foliage and water exposure will slowly tear down the remainder of the structures.

The seasonal golf course and country club are the only hint of activity in the area today. Visitors have reported the country club restaurant is open on occasion.

Structures

• Administration Building: This building was originally the trade school when completed in 1912, and was reportedly a state-of-the-art facility. It housed both letter-press and offset-press technique training, as well as pre-press and bindery.

The school was attended by tradesmen from all over North America, eventually becoming the largest of its kind in the world.

One of Berry’s final contributions before his death in 1948 was the construction of a new trade school building in 1947.

This new trade school would become the iconic building of Pressmen’s Home, and relegated the original trade school to serve as the administration building.

While it served as the administration building it housed the offices of Union executives. The building also hosted the Accounting Department, the Service Bureau, membership records, and editorial offices.

When the Union left in 1969, the administration building was abandoned.

• Home Building: This building (pictured below) was already under construction when the Union purchased Hale Springs, and was completed in 1911. Initially this structure was lodging for visitors, visiting dignitaries, and international officers of the Union – but it earned its name later, in 1926, after a new hotel was completed.

click thumbnails to enlarge

The building’s apartments became “home” to the full-time residents and were well appointed, featuring kitchens, dining rooms, and even a shared pool room. This building also fell into disrepair after the Union left in 1969, and was unfortunately lost to an arson fire years later.

• Tuberculosis Sanatorium: Before mid-century advancements in medicine proved otherwise, it was believed tuberculosis could be caused by exposure to printer’s ink.

Union President Berry defended his geographical selection by reasoning the climate of the mountains and the mineral springs would be beneficial to members stricken with the infectious disease.

Within five years of the Union purchasing the land, a sanatorium was opened.

Built in 1916, the Tuberculosis Sanatorium was fully staffed and offered union members the era’s best treatments available. Members received care at no charge; those who perished were interred at the Pressmen’s Home cemetery. (pictured below, courtesy Kim Denny)

As medical science later discovered, tuberculosis was not directly caused by ink printing. The Sanatorium operation was spun down and closed in 1961 before being demolished the following year.

Pressauna Hotel

• Hotel Pressauna: This building was finished in 1926 and would become the temporary lodging for visiting union members and their families.

An on-site quarry provided the sandstone which was used to create the building’s façade.

Nightly home-cooked meals were provided to guests using dairy and meat from Pressmen’s farms. Adjacent to the tile-floored lobby was a warmly-lit library which served as a reading room. A gas station sat next to the building; an ice cream shop behind.

This building was abandoned in 1969 when the union left and was later destroyed by arson in 1994. (Pictured in photo under “Today” section above.)

• Memorial Chapel: Berry had the chapel added in 1926 as a memorial to Union members who died serving in World War I; in later years the non-denominational church expanded to include all who served in the military.

On August 30th, 1948, special memorial services were held at the chapel for the 169 members of the Pressmen’s Union killed during World War II.

A printing press monument sits in a garden just outside the chapel, which was believed at the time to be the only place of worship in the United States owned by a labor union.

(click thumbnails to enlarge)

Memorial Chapel Today: (courtesy Karen Kosheba)

A mausoleum near the chapel once held the remains of founder and former union president George L. Berry. Both the chapel and mausoleum are still standing today, however Berry and his wife’s remains have been relocated to the town cemetery in Rogersville.

• Trade School: This monolith ultimately became the iconic structure of Pressmen’s Home. The trade school building was finished in 1948 and housed over $500,000 (around $6.6M in 2014 dollars) in printing presses and other equipment.

It was abandoned after the union left the area in 1969. Today it stands vacant, its windows smashed by vandals. Fortunately the roof is still in place; once this succumbs to nature, decay will accelerate via water damage.

• Farm Structures: Barns and farmhouses sat several hundred yards to the west of Pressman’s Home, down the road from the administration and trade school buildings. The barn (pictured at right) was added in 1940.

The farm buildings raised the chickens, cows, and pigs used to feed guests.

The stables housed the horses used for recreational activities and later became hay storage before an arson fire in August of 2009 burned it to the ground(remains on map here). The Pressmen’s Home dairy barn later became the club house of the now defunct Camelot Golf & Country Club (pictured below, courtesy Kim Denny).

Extras

•Thinking about visiting Pressmen’s Home? Think twice. While the structures are abandoned, the property is still privately owned and is occupied by a caretaker who is very interested in protecting the property.

For decades Pressmen’s Home has been plagued by arson and vandalism; don’t expect the caretaker to know you are there to take pictures and not start a fire.

The restaurant inside the country club of the golf course is accessible via public road and has been rumored to be open to the public on occasion.

Directions: From the South, take highway 11 East until you get to Rogersville. Turn left on 66 and travel just shy of 10 miles to 94. This is Pressmen’s Home Road – turn right and in another few miles you’ll arrive. From the North, take highway 11 West until you approach Rogersville. Turn right on 70 and travel about 8 miles until you reach a fork. Take a left onto 94, which turns into Pressmen’s Home Road. (map)

I suspect the cost of repairing buildings or even just removing dangerous materials and demolishing is very
high.

Far cheaper in the US where land is plentiful (and cheaper?) to start on a fresh clean site.

In the UK we are shoehorned in and land is expensive so
buildings probably get refurbished or demolished a lot quicker- saying that there are areas with loads of run down buildings where there is no money to be made.

Steve, you may want to check out North St. Louis, Missouri, Gary, Indiana, Detroit, Michigan or even Columbus, Ohio. These cities have nearly as many abandoned properties as they have occupied ones. The state of American infrastructure – and the level of greed that keeps them from being redeveloped – is appalling.

Just a clarification: listing on the National Register doesn’t protect the property from redevelopment or demolition unless a proposed alteration uses Federal money in some way. Otherwise, people are free to demolish or alter NRHP-listed properties that aren’t protected by an easement or other designation or limitation of some sort. That said, someone could absolutely use Historic Tax Credits to redevelop this property for mixed use, commercial or residential purposes. Amazing set if buildings, landscape and story. I hope something good happens!

Thanks for sharing this. We own a very small parcel at Camelot that is not really worth anything, but we pay our tiny property tax and hold on to it hoping that something will develop with the old Pressman building. Really interesting history.

I am sure glad that I am not alone in trying to preserve the memories of Pressmen’s Home. Good photos and video links. The Lakeview Utility District renovated the old Plumbing and Heating shop behind the powerhouse into a water treatment plant back in 2005. We are still using parts of the original water distribution system to serve Hawkins County. The craftsmanship of what was built is still apparent today. Contact me at the Lakeview Utility District office in Rogersville in case anyone would like to tour what we have and share memories.

Your guys there gave me a tour one day. The things you guys have done and preserved is Awesome! I want a copy of the building layout you have behind the glass! I have a lot of HD video if you are interested. A student at ETSU put a video on Vimeo recently. I guessing it was not sanctioned by the owners unfortunately for those of us who are trying to gain access respectfully and legally. It has some good footage around the chapel and Berrys first resting place though. Google Pressmen’s home and select video at the top.

Hi Bobby, My daughter was the ETSU student in question. I can assure you no laws were violated in making this film, and the people being interviewed were friends of our family who worked and lived either for the Berry family, or in Pressman’s Home when it was a thriving community. If you felt like there was some sort of impropriety, perhaps you shouldn’t have linked my daughter’s video to your own writing. She worked very hard on that project and I resent your implication.

Hi Denise, thank you for sharing that update. Your daughter did an excellent job putting that video together, in fact, it is the best that I have seen sharing the story of Pressmen’s Home. My apologies if my comments regarding access came across as negative. Trespassing is a significant concern to the property owners and I try to make every effort to discourage people from doing so out of respect. It does appear that they were pointed at your daughter visiting the property, however I hope that this message will clarify that she indeed did have permission and in my attempts to discourage trespassing I spoke out of turn. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, and please express my humble apologies to your daughter and my respect for what she has added to capturing the PH history.

There is a very nice gentlemen named Paul who keeps the grounds for the golf course. He has been very accommodating with regards to the property he oversees. I have been trying for a year now to gain legitimate permission to view the other buildings with no success to date. When I do it is my intention to create a video of the current state. I will be sure to post here once I do.

This is one of the best online accounts of Pressmen’s Home I’ve seen. In college I got to walk the grounds (with permission) while doing work for the TN Historical Commission. We also got to talk to long time residents and look through some historical materials. Until then I had only driven by the buildings. What an experience to actually get close. At that time the chapel looked great from the outside, but the floor on the inside had collapsed. However, the lobby of the trade school was in tact and if I remember correctly was mostly marble or granite and was stunning. Haven’t been to PH in more than a decade and not sure I want to. I’m so afraid that more of it has disappeared, but should take my kids there before it is all gone.

Thank you very much for the kind words, Clayton. A lot of research goes in to these stories, it feels good to know it’s acknowledged. 🙂
While I uncover a lot of information on the Internet, I never get to actually walk through these places. I think that gives a completely different perspective and feel, so I’m jealous of your trips there. Glad to hear you were able to work out a legal tour. Hopefully there’s still some good parts left to show the kids.

I live in morristown, tn about 30 minutes from Rogersville. My best friend and i had heard the haunted rumors of pressmans home for years growing up. So, when we were in high school, we decided to see what p.h. was all about. When we arrived, our car tripped some kind of sensor and alarms were blaring everywhere , i suppose to announce our arrival. After nearly jumping out of our skin, we shook ot off and continued to tje front of the press building where a huge guy with a shot gun informed us we were trespassing. Not to be deterred we drove off a bit down the path then exited the car and went thru some bushes into some back buildings…we were amazed! Tractors sitting mid field, abandoned mid plow. Cars on the road with doors still open as if someone was driving down the road and vanished. Warehouses full of desks with computers and family photos on top as if someone planned on returning the next day but something went wrong. When you enter that old asylum the eerie presence fills you and goose bumps are immediate. I wish ghost hunters or a paranormal show would film there, i know the evp would be off the charts. This place is beyond creepy and there has been a cover up surrounding it and the t.b. outbreak for years. I wish the mystery would be uncovered finally.

We actually own one of those unbuildable plots of land, passed down from my parents. I have the deed with the plot number but have no idea where it would be. I would love to see if there is even a road up to it. Any idea who I would contact if I wanted to visit so that we don’t set off the alarms and shot-gun toting caretaker?

Hi Mary,
Unfortunately I don’t have the contact information for the gentleman guarding the property, but you could contact the Hawkins County Assessor for guidance. Here’s a link to their page. If they can’t directly help you, they could at least point you in the right direction.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes if you do get a chance to check it out! 🙂

My father, uncles, grandfathers, and one great grandfather worked at Pressmen’s Home. My Dad, Bob Cary, is featured in the above documentary at 8:16. I learned to swim in the pool, and fish in the lake. My uncle and aunt were wed in the chapel.
Thank you for the comprehensive look back at a place so prominent in Hawkins County history.

Just got back from a road trip to Pressmans’ Home. Does anyone know where Mr. Berry is now buried? There is no door on the mausoleum, and it is full of old car parts, hub caps, and other things that I have no idea what they were.

Thanks for the info on what happened to Mr. Berry’s body. After reading the comments here, I suppose that I was trespassing to investigate the property. I have a photo of the inside of the mausoleum and it is disgusting, especially when I had to wonder what happened. A beautiful crypt abandoned and turned into a junk pile. But the thing that seems the worst sin is leaving the stained glass to be broken out in the chapel.

Ugh, that’s terrible to hear. It really displeases me to hear of any vandalism to these properties. Feel free to share the photo with us, I could add it to the article as an update with your permission & credits. Thanks Karen.

I don’t know how to share photos here, but would be willing to share them if I knew how. Wish I would have taken more after I read through your article and the comments. I am capable of emailing photos, if you would like them. Just need to know where to send them.

Really enjoyed the information from all of you. I have a plat from 1924 by Savage Co for development on Richardson Creek for the Pressmen and Assistants Union Home. I knew nothing about this place when I bought it. Such a shame the state didn’t step in with a preserve. Would love to visit.

Bought 2 lots there at PH, in 1970, been all through it. what a fun place it was when in full swing. I did a lot of research and found why it is most likely guarded, because it sits on top of natural gas pool, and there are many capped off wells all around and someone didn’t want the general public know what was going on. wells saved for the future. I also suspect some one is growing some kind of plants. The reason for the mystery ! I’ve owned the property for 46 years and it would make me happy to see a casino like Foxwoods move there, the section that looks like a castle, but not the MGM grand type building, that has no class or design. The original Foxwoods building fits this landscape perfectly, and they protect the environment. The jobs it creates are many, many and money that it gives to the state is Mega. And their casino in Conn. is much like the PH vacation plans of the 70s.

I am currently researching the original hydro electric plant (Clinchfield Hydro Electric Power Co.) that was built for Pressmens Home. The power company was chartered in 1917by the IPPAU and then all assets were turned over to the IPPAU 6/14/1921. (I have a copy of the deed turning everything over.I understand that the plant was built on Byrd/Richardson Creek in Hancock county. It supplied power to Pressmens Home until they built their own onsite power house sometime in the late 20’s/early 30’s. Contact me at the Lakeview Utility District office in Rogersville. I would love to see what you have and to share what we have. If we don’t, history will be forgotten.

Got it. Went looking for the old hydroelectric plant this past week. Found a couple dams and an old structure but I am not positive. There are others researching also. History should not be forgotten. It is how we got to where we are today.

Had a good weekend last week. Met with Bobby. He found the grave site of the original owner on top of the ridge. (Buried (1841) standing up so he could keep an eye on his valley….according to legend.) Actually saw and got to touch an original handmade wooden pulley that was attached by belt to the water wheel and electrical generator at the hydro electric plant on Richardson Creek back in the early 1900’s. Impressive craftsmanship. (Bobby has posted some pictures of it on his flicker account.) Went out with the individual who had obtained the wheel back in the 70’s when the property owner was dismantling the plant. Saw the ruins and pylons on Richardson Creek. It is in the area that is marked Pressmens Flume on goggle earth Talked with a local who mentioned that there were two hydroelectric plants at that location. One supplied Pressmens Home and the other supplied the valley there. Then I found out about the Clinchfield Timber Company which was also associated with Pressmens Home. Amazing how far the influence of that place reached and what they were involved in.

Thanks for the update Tim, I’m glad you and Bobby were able to get together and start putting some pieces together. Bobby let me know about his updates to Flickr, I’ve gone through and updated some of the photos in the post. I’ll be updating the post over time as I get more information and photos about PH. How did you get in touch with the person who managed to get their hands on the wheel when the plant was dismantled in the 1970s? It is surprising how far the reach was of PH and the IPPAU; it really was a company town of sorts.

Thanks for keeping us in the loop, let me know if you guys come across any more news, information, or photos I can include here. For example I could add a section about the power plant if I had more information and photos to work with. Cheers Tim!

I was married in the Chapel in Pressman’s Home in October of 1977. Most likely the last to wed there. It was starting to get run down then…some of the lights were broken and overall rundown, but when I was a tween and seeing the Chapel for the first time, declared I would get married there someday, so I stayed true to my word. It was a beautiful place in its heyday and I hate that it fell to ruins. I was able to revisit about 15 years ago, (with permission) and was very saddened by the state it was in. The doors were fallen in as were the floors, the paintings on the ceiling at the alter were ruined with decay, the pews were gone as were the hanging lights. Such a shame that such a beautiful place ended this way. Thanks for all the information and pictures of a once viberant place.

It must be very sad for you to see the condition of the chapel now. If you have a picture from your wedding of the chapel, it would be a nice addition to this page. I would love to see a color photo of the interior with the murals they way they were.

Thanks for leaving the comment Kim, what a great story. I appreciate that you stayed true to your word about being married in the Chapel one day, that’s excellent! I’ll echo what Karen said, if you have any photos from your wedding in the chapel you wouldn’t mind sharing here, we’d love to see them. Thanks for reading. 🙂

Great read. I have one correction, though. The hotel was the Pressauna (pronounced PRESS-uh-UNE-uh). Both my parents and one grandfather worked at PH. Papaw was an electrician; Daddy worked in the hotel kitchen; and Mama was a switchboard operator and later secretary for PH, Camelot, and Pinestone.

My husband’s grandfather was a Pressman. I have two questions. Does anyone know where training was done before the school was completed on this property? Also, is there a physical museum associated with the Pressman anywhere?

Hi Nora, the only one that I am aware of is in Rogersville, TN. Here is a link to the web page, http://www.rogersvilleheritage.org. There are several artifacts from the trade school located there. will upload pictures to a web page and post the link. I unfortunately do not have information on where training was held, prior to 1911.

I was with a group of motorcycle riders from WV we were out riding the beautiful tenn back roads and happened up on this area I was amazed by it as I am industrial history so when I got home I researched on the net and found out what it was at one time such a piece of American history so sad their is so many places like this that’s becoming lost in time

If you are going to be back in the area, contact me at the Lakeview Utility District in Rogersville. I’ll take you and yours on a tour of what is there. I first ran across Pressmens Home in the spring of 1993. Saw the signs and figured I’d ride down and see what it was. First hit 94 off 66N on my motorcycle. Felt something strange in the air. Been in and thru many valleys in my life. Mentioned to my wife behind me that something strange was going on. Felt like magic in the air. When the valley opened up, I got a real strong good feeling. Stopped at the Pressuana Hotel site and said to myself…”WTH was this place? Never thinking that 10 years later I would be in the middle of it.

Hello, TIm, I am vice- president of Abe’s Paranormal Research Society at Lincoln Memorial University and I would like to ask if you could possibly give us a tour of the grounds and/or allow us to do an investigation. If not, could you please direct us to someone who I can ask. Ever since I was first introduced to the location, I have been fascinated by the lost grandeur of Pressmen’s Home. I live in Sneedville, TN, and I have been absolutely chomping at the bit so to speak to be allowed to view the location more closely. I appreciate any assistance whatsoever!

Hi Tim, I’ll be coming in to town from Atlanta tomorrow. Any chance you coukd meet up with me and much husband to take a tour? We are on our anniversary trip, and woukd be thrilled to learn more about PH, and tour what is left of it, before it’s gone forever. Thank in advance !
Kathy
770 401 1379.

This information is false. The building is not abandoned. There is a company still working in it today. They make needles to inject into meats. Even Butterball buys from them. So no there is no need to tour because they are working. So don’t advertise it as somewhere you can just walk in and it will be okay. It’s not. It’s private property.

Hello Victoria, the article is three years old so if there have been some changes we would like to update the article to reflect them. Thank you for bringing it to our attention, to which building are you referring?

Rest assured we have not advertised tours nor have we suggested anyone should visit. In fact the article specifically states *not* to do this (first bullet point under Extras). The article states not to trespass, that it is private property, and has a security guard.

Of interest Post 21 American Legion in Rogersville , TN was born in Pressmans Home. George R. Berry was very much apart of its birth. He was an avid Legion Member and provided the Legion with a building. The Post was latter moved to Rogersville. Know as Hut, this log structure was build by the members, George Town. Berry supplied the logs from Pressmans Home. It was known as the culture center of Rogersville because of all the events held there. In 1949 it was torn down and a 2 story brick building was built by Hawkins County which exist today. Membership was over 1300 mainly because of the veterans returning home after WWII. Today membership hovers around three hundred. The building needs a major renovation in order to attract our new veterans. If Mr Berry was still alive, I know he would drive the charge to modernize the Post building. He served in many leadership positions in the Legion.

I realize this original post is rather old, but I just found it in researching the Camelot area. My father worked for the one of the investment groups and our family lived there for a short time. Fascinating to read the history behind it!